Forum: BATA deserves our support

Election 2011

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Jim Lively Special to the Record-Eagle/Joe Mielke

November 1, 2011

By JIM LIVELY ---- The Record Eagle Tue Nov 01, 2011, 07:51 AM EDT

I'm voting for the Bay Area Transportation Authority's operating millage renewal because I rely on BATA to get to work.

I catch the "Empire connector" near my home and ride to the downtown Traverse City transfer center. From there I walk a few short blocks to my office at the Michigan Land Use Institute. In the afternoon, I catch the 5:45 bus heading home.

I like my BATA route because it's reliable, affordable, convenient, and has allowed our family of four living out of town to get by with only one car. I've been pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy not driving. I can read, work on my laptop, or enjoy conversations with neighbors and new friends I've met on the bus.

Many other families in our region depend on BATA to get to their jobs every day. Earlier this year the Michigan Land Use Institute interviewed many low-income families about their greatest financial challenges as part of our Families on the Edge report, and learned that transportation costs are near the top of the list.

These families often can't afford to operate multiple vehicles so they turn to BATA to maintain their quality of life, and in some cases, to fight for their economic survival. Simply put, BATA provides an important lifeline to many seniors, people with disabilities, students, and financially struggling families.

BATA is also a critical part of the Grand Vision that so many citizens helped to develop. In a 2008 survey, more than 75 percent of residents agreed that they support future investment in public transportation, "even if it means some roads aren't widened."

But there are lots of other reasons to support BATA's millage renewal request:

n New management has saved $250,000 via restructuring, improving the service and using tax dollars more effectively;n BATA is creating new fixed-schedule routes to give riders more efficient options to get to work, school, or the hospital;n Neighboring transit agencies are collaborating to develop regional transfer centers and park-and-ride lots, which will allow more fixed-schedule service across county boundaries;n In response to Suttons Bay Public Schools' financial crisis, BATA offered new bus service that provides public transportation for students to get to school;n Investments in new technology, including GPS and mobile data connections, will allow more efficient tracking and routing of buses.

As a commuter who chooses to rely on BATA, I can also tell you about improvements to our regional bus system that still need to be made: more fixed-schedule routes, more weekend service; more park-and-ride lots, and more visible bus stops and route information.

Those fixes will come as ridership increases. But BATA first must rely on the continued support from residents for their basic operating costs. I encourage you to vote "yes" for BATA's millage renewal on Nov. 8 and continue to support this vital community asset.

I challenge you to consider actually riding BATA. The system will continue to get better with ridership.

Hope to see you on the bus.

About the author: Jim Lively is program director at the Michigan Land Use Institute. He lives in Leelanau County and gets on the bus in Burdickville.

About the forum: The forum is a periodic column of opinion written by Record-Eagle readers in their areas of interest or expertise. Submissions of 500 words or less may be made by emailing letters@record-eagle.com. Please include biographical information and a photo.